The Lobster V-Notching Conservation Method

The primary intention of the lobster V-notching method is to improve the sustainability of Ireland's lobster stocks by protecting female lobsters so that they can breed a number of times.

The method has been in use in the USA (Maine) since the 1940s and in Ireland since 1994. In Ireland, circa 32,000 lobsters with a weight of some 27,000kg were released to enhance the breeding stock in 2018.

How does Lobster V-notching work?

V-notching involves manually removing a simple, V-shaped notch from the tail of a female lobster when first caught.